Pozdnyakov grabs stage four victory in An Post Rás, Bialoblocki survives attacks on his yellow jersey

It’s been a long time since a Russian rider triumphed on a stage of the An Post Rás, but Kirill Pozdnyakov changed that statistic when he blasted home first into Glengarriff at the end of stage four of the race. The Azerbaijan Synergy Baku competitor won a four man sprint ahead of Remi Pelletier-Roy (Canada National Team), Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team) and Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor JLT), with these four being the best after a tough 153 kilometre stage through the Kerry and Cork mountains.

“It is a great day for me the team as well, because I won the stage and my team-mate who is good in GC [Conor McConvey – ed.] gained some time and he came closer. So I am very happy,” said Pozdnyakov after the stage.

Daniel Foder (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) led home a chase group 28 seconds back, with overnight race leader Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain UK Youth Pro Cycling) present. The time conceded saw Handley and Pelletier Roy close to within 18 seconds of his lead, but it was successful in that the number of riders on the same overall time as the yellow jersey dropped from seven to two; McConvey and Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) are the duo which remain deadlocked with Bialoblocki.

“Having the yellow jersey this early can mean a lot of pressure so today it was important that I managed to stay up near the front throughout the stage,” said Bialoblocki.

“I knew I had to work hard today as Richard Handley was only 47 seconds behind me in the GC, so I am very happy to still be in yellow.”

The stage was much lumpier than previous days, with eight categorised climbs lurking along the road from Listowel to Glengarriff. There were plenty of attacks, with a large group moving clear early on and forcing Bialoblocki to chase hard.

He eventually bridged but Handley, his Rapha Condor JLT team-mate Michael Cuming (both Rapha Condor JLT) and Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team) got clear on the second category climb of Molls Gap and were later joined by Pelletier Roy (Canada), Pozdnyakov (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku) and Christian Varley with approximately 45 kilometres to go.

Varley slipped back on the category two Garranes climb. At the top of the first category climb of Healy Pass the Bialoblocki group was one minute and 40 seconds behind, spelling danger for the Polish rider. Hard chasing managed to bring the gap down by the finish, but the 28 seconds which remained were enough for the first four to duke it out for the stage win, for Pozdnyakov to take that first Russian stage win in many years and for Handley and Pelletier Roy to get closer to yellow.

How it played out:

Day four of the An Post Rás was considerably tougher than the previous three stages, with no less than eight categorised climbs facing the riders along the 153 kilometres from Listowel to Glengarriff. These were the category two Lacka West (km 7.9), Crinny climb (category three, km 28.3), Farranfore (category three, km 47.3), the category two trio of Ladies View (km 82.4), Molls Gap (km 87.3) and Garranes (km 117.1), the first category Healy Pass (km 127) and finally the category three Cooleriagh (km 145.3).

The bunch set off in bright weather, with all but two riders signing on from the evening before. The retirees were Aaron Buggle (Britain Rapha Condor JLT) and Nick Coughlan (Wexford Team Voicegrid).

That move was followed by a different escape with Joseph Kelly (Great Britain national team), John Ebsen (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku), Eugene Moriary (Meath Dunboyne DID) and Dan Barry (Britain Node4 Giordana) present. At the same time the race leader Marcin Bialoblocki had a bike problem, requiring him to stop and then chase back on.

These were then joined by Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team), Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling), Conor Murphy (Dublin West Eurocycles) and Roger Aiken (Louth Prague Charter Team)

That 27 man move had a gap of 30 seconds after 34 kilometres.

Holub nabbed top points at the day’s second prime, the category three ascent of Crinny (km 28.3): Yates, Laverack and Varley were second through to fourth. Soon afterwards Sean Downey (An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly) and Jacob Rytlewski (USA Astellas Oncology) started an effort to try to get across to the large group, but were one minute and three seconds back after an hour of racing. A total of 46 kilometres was covered in that period, the number showing how brisk the start had been.

Hunal bolstered his lead when he beat McConvey, Northey and Cuming to the top of the category three climb At Farranfore (km 47.3).

Downey and Rytlewski continued to plug away for some time but it became clear that they would not be able to get across. Both went back to the bunch just before the 65 kilometre point, and the gap between the break and the peloton was one minute 45 seconds as they passed through Killarney (km 66).

The big climbs rear up:

Twelve kilometres later the break raced on to the lower slopes of the Ladies View climb and started the long drag to the top. The cooperation in the group was not really gelling and race leader Bialoblocki, Ronan McLaughlin, Shane Archbold (both An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly) and Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor JLT) got across before the top.

Hunal took top points there ahead of Cuming and Oellegaard, while Bennett was fourth.

Remi Pelletier Roy (Canada) was also trying to bridge and successfully used the slopes of Molls Gap to springboard across the gap. However before the summit Richard Handley, Michael Cuming (both Rapha Condor JLT) and Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team) attacked the group and got clear, crossing the prime line in that order.

The others were joined by a group and raced down the descent to try to get back on terms with the leaders. After 91 kilometres Hadley, Cuming and Greenwood had a gap of fourteen seconds, which grew to eighteen.

Pelletier Roy (Canada), Pozdnyakov (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku) and Varley (Britain Node4 Giordana) got clear of the group behind and began chasing hard. The pursuit continued for some time before the junction was finally made 45 kilometres from the line.

The group behind had stalled during the chase and the gap was up to one minute 40 seconds. On the category two Garranes climb Varley cracked, leaving five out front. Handley led Pelletier Roy and Cuming over the summit, while his team-mate Cuming was one place ahead of him at the top of the first category Healy Pass, taking enough points to move well clear of the previous leader Martin Hunal.

The peloton went over the summit one minute and forty seconds back, making it increasingly likely that the break would fight it out for the win. Inside the final 20 kilometres Handley and Pozdnyakov went clear on the descent, but were joined several kilometres later by the other three. Meanwhile the yellow jersey group behind was joined by several riders including Connor McConvey (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku), who had started the day level on time with the yellow jersey.

Inside the final ten kilometres the gap was down to 57 seconds. The leaders kept the pressure on and after Handley led them over the category three climb of Cooleriagh, they continued pushing hard on to the finish, where Pozdnyakov beat Pelletier-Roy, Greenwood and Richard Handley for the stage victory.

Behind, An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly rider Shane Archbold had a mechanical issue and needed a new wheel, with this causing him to lose two minutes and drop from second down to tenth overall. Bialoblocki’s group crossed the line 28 seconds back and this ensured he held onto the lead, with McConvey ending the day second overall and Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) third.

Both are on the same time as Bialoblocki and will look to edge ahead in the stages to come. Handley and Pelletier Roy got closer to yellow by virtue of the break, ending the day just eighteen seconds back and motivated to continue their progression.